MRI of pulmonary airspace disease: Experimental model and preliminary clinical results

To evaluate the potential of MRI for differentiating the various causes of pulmonary consolidation, 16 patients with known airspace diseases were imaged, and T1 and T2 values were determined. Substantial overlap was encountered between different diagnostic groups on T1 and T2 mapping, although alveolar proteinosis was notable for its low T1 value. In addition, a gelatin phantom simulating consolidation with varying degrees of residual aeration was constructed and tested, demonstrating that the degree of aeration did not influence the T1 and T2 values measured.